Astronomers just witnessed planets being born around a baby star 1300 light-years away

Astronomers have, for the first time, observed the very beginning of planet formation around a star beyond our Solar System. Using the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA, researchers detected hot minerals starting to solidify in the dusty disc surrounding a young star called HOPS-315, located 1300 light-years from Earth. These minerals mark the earliest seeds of planets, offering a stunning parallel to how Earth and the other planets in our Solar System likely formed. This breakthrough provides a rare opportunity to watch the process of planet birth unfold in real time.